


across the sea

by xxrisque



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxrisque/pseuds/xxrisque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Come on, you don’t know the first thing about scientists. One look won’t hurt.” Courfeyrac needles them playfully, swimming circles around them.</p><p>“I know that if they catch you, or any of us, they’ll put us in a tank and do experiments on us, because that’s what <i>humans do</i>, Courf. It’s not safe, let’s just go.”</p><p>“Can we at least try and surface when it gets dark up top? For all we know they could be lovely.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	across the sea

“Jehan, look.” Courfeyrac exclaims excitedly, grabbing Jehan’s arm and shaking them. “It’s a _boat_.”

“I can see that.” They reply, rolling their eyes affectionately. “But a boat means humans, or even worse, _scientists_.”

Their tentacles tighten and twist around themselves uncomfortably, crossing their arms over their chest.

“Come on, you don’t know the first thing about scientists. One look won’t hurt.” Courfeyrac needles them playfully, swimming circles around them.

“I know that if they catch you, or any of us, they’ll put us in a tank and do experiments on us, because that’s what _humans do_ , Courf. It’s not safe, let’s just go.”

“Can we at least try and surface when it gets dark up top? For all we know they could be lovely.”

“They could also have harpoons. Let’s go, before Bahorel notices we’re gone.” Jehan huffs, twisting a few tentacles unsteadily around the end of Courfeyrac’s tail before clumsily attempting to swim away. Courfeyrac sighs, looks up at the boat again, before twisting himself around and following his friend.

Jehan makes him swear he won’t go looking, after that.

And in his defence, on the night he’s up near the jetty, he’s not exactly _looking_ , honestly. He just notices the gentle ripples on the surface that tell him something’s going on up there, and decides he should take a look. For the good of the democracy, he thinks to himself as he swims closer to the surface.

He pushes himself up out of the water, just far enough that his eyes are above the water level, and looks around curiously.

And lo and behold, there’s a human. They’re sitting with their feet over the edge of the jetty, kicking at the water. Their trousers are rolled up to just below what Courfeyrac thinks are probably their knees and they look utterly miserable.

He surfaces properly, as far as his shoulders, and shifts towards them.

That’s about when they notice him.

“Jesus Christ,” they gasp, shuffling backwards quickly and staring at him, “what the hell? Are you alright?”

“Better for seeing you, I think.” Courfeyrac replies, cocking his head curiously and moving closer still. He’s aware he must look a sight, curls flat to his forehead and huge black eyes blinking against the foreign air.

“Oh my god, you’re-” The human gapes, recovering from their initial shock and getting onto their hands and knees to lean closer to Courfeyrac. “You’re an actual merperson, aren’t you? God, I _knew_ you existed, but no one believed me.”

They laugh, gently, before extending a hand.

“Combeferre. Marine biologist.”

“Courfeyrac. Merman.” Courfeyrac smiles, sharp teeth flashing in a way that would be menacing were it not for the dimples in his cheeks.

Combeferre shakes his hand, obviously marvelling at his webbed fingers.

“If you walk up to the sand I can beach myself and we can talk? If you want.” Courfeyrac attempts to feign nonchalance, desperate to hide his eagerness at the thought of talking to this beautiful, wonderful human. “That _is_ what you lot call it, isn’t it? ‘Walking’?”

Combeferre laughs.

“Yeah, that’s what we call it. You’d do that?” He looks almost excited, and it’s enough to make Courfeyrac grin. “That’d be great, actually.”

“Come on, then.” Courfeyrac smiles at him. “Race you.”

Naturally, Combeferre doesn’t stand a chance, bumbling along on those cumbersome legs of his, and even if he did, he’s too caught up in watching the slick slide of Courfeyrac’s tail as he dips up and under the water as he moves.

“You are incredible.” He pants when he reaches the sand and Courfeyrac is already propped up there looking pleased, fins and most of his tail still resting comfortably in the water.

Combeferre stops then to look at him, taking in the subtle gradation of red scales to blue over where his hipbones would be if he were human, the perfectly almond shaped and impossibly black eyes and the occasional flick of a fin up from the water as he shifts.

“I’m glad someone thinks so.” Courfeyrac smiles lopsidedly and pats the sand beside him.

Combeferre sits down next to him, and Courfeyrac takes this moment to really study the human. He’s odd, he decides, with his weird nose that isn’t at all flat, and his long gangly legs, and the tiny pieces of glass in front of his eyes.

“What are these?” Courfeyrac asks after looking at him for a few solid minutes. He reaches over and taps a damp hand on the lens in front of Combeferre’s eyes. The human blinks in surprise.

“They’re glasses. I can’t see very well, and these help. Here.” He takes them off and passes them over to Courfeyrac, squinting to try and see him in focus. “They might not do much for you, come to think of it. Our anatomy is obviously very different.”

Courfeyrac takes them gingerly, holding them up to his own face and frowning through them.

“Huh. You humans are _weird_.”

“So says the half-fish.”

He hands Combeferre his glasses back, and the other man puts them on carefully.

“We’re not _all_ half fish, you know. Not in the truest sense, anyway. My best friend’s an octopod, and we grew up with a hammerhead shark and a seahorse. I think there’s dolphins somewhere, too, where it’s warmer.”

“How come we can understand each other?” Combeferre asks, looking intently at Courfeyrac. “Honestly, this whole situation is fascinating.”

“We’re taught basic human phrases when we’re young. It’s not impossible for us to speak above water, but it can hurt when we’re not used to it. I just taught myself more as I got older.” Courfeyrac swishes his tail absently through the water as he speaks. “It’s mostly a precaution, really. Your kind haven’t always treated us well when we’ve communicated before.”

Combeferre looks sheepish as he turns away.

“Sorry. Humans have a tendency to destroy things that way, I’m afraid.” He sighs tersely, running a hand through his hair. Courfeyrac reaches over to grab his hand.

“Guilt doesn’t transfer from generation to generation.” Courfeyrac says firmly, squeezing his hand. He looks down at where they’re connected, at the sharp contrast between his own blue scales and Combeferre’s pink skin. “You’re soft.”

“You’re not.” Combeferre replies quietly, blush heating his face.

“What am I then, if not soft?” Courfeyrac smirks, leaning his head sideways to look at the man beside him.

“I don’t know, really. Cold, I suppose. Scaly. A little wet.”

Courfeyrac’s smile softens as Combeferre turns to meet his eyes. Courfeyrac slowly, steadily, moves the human’s hand up to rest against the sharp curve of his jaw.

“Mind the gills.” Courfeyrac says almost fondly, watching as Combeferre’s expression changes as he maps out his features with his fingertips.

“Your species, you’re-” Combeferre starts, following the line of Courfeyrac’s thin lips as he stares at him, “you’re _incredible_. I mean-”

Courfeyrac shushes him, raising one of his own hands up to Combeferre’s cheek.

“You guys aren’t bad yourselves, you know that, right? I mean, you’ve got the whole biped thing down, we’re still not there yet. And you’re all smooth and pink and squishy." 

He pokes Combeferre’s cheek, and the man laughs, reaching up to slide their hands together.

They talk about everything and nothing until the sun starts to peek over the horizon, at which Courfeyrac frowns and shimmies until he’s about waist deep in the water again.

“Will I see you again?” Combeferre asks sincerely, a few feet away and ankle deep in the sea.

“I don’t know,” Courfeyrac cocks his head, lowering himself further, “you might. I’ll even consider introducing you to my friends if you promise not to put us in tanks.”

“You know I’d never.” Combeferre replies, starkly genuine, and walks further into the water until he’s in up to his waist.

“I know.” Courfeyrac smiles, the translucent scales on his face glistening in the early morning sun. He swims closer to Combeferre, twining his tail around one of his legs playfully. “I’m joking.”

Combeferre watches him curiously, but doesn’t move to touch him.

“Now will I see you again, human?”

“I live here, so you probably will. Even if you don’t want to see me.” Combeferre huffs a quiet laugh, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh, I think I’ll want to see you.” Courfeyrac smiles, and when he leans in to kiss him Combeferre isn’t even surprised, really, just pleasantly happy enough to kiss him back.

“You should go. Get out of those wet clothes. You’re not built for this.” Courfeyrac says after a moment when he’s pulled away and is looking at Combeferre impossibly fondly.

“You’re not built for the air, and yet you sat on the beach with me all night.” Combeferre points out with a gentle laugh.

Courfeyrac just smiles and kisses his cheek, a cool press of wet scales against his skin. He runs a hand through Combeferre’s hair before he flops backwards into the water and disappears from view.

Combeferre watches him go, and when a large blue and red fin flashes into sight from between the waves, he can’t help but smile.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on [tumblr](http://badlydressedbahorel.tumblr.com)!
> 
> (also Bahorel is 1000% the hammerhead that Courf is friends with, and Feuilly is the seahorse. Courf himself is a red and blue betta fish.)


End file.
